(POLITICS weekly) Barney Hitched; Romney; Obama: Spoiled America!

• HITCHED: Barney Frank Gets Married!

• SUICIDAL: Mary Kennedy on Antidepressants, But Sober at Death!

• WISH: Romney's VP Shortlist Takes Shape!

• DREAM: Don't Dismiss Romney-Rice Ticket Just Yet!

• BIASED: Morgan Freeman SAYS We Still Await First Black President!

• WORKING: Why Obama's Bain Attacks Are Actually Working!

• FAITH: Michelle Obama SAYS Best Place to Talk Politics? Church!

• SPOILED: Cost of Freedom, Everyone's Selfish!

(POP NEWS) Parsons, OUT; Duckie; Gaga; Stone; JLo; Lambert's Hit!

• DUH: Jim Parsons is Gay!

• NOT OUT: Duckie Wasn't Gay!

• AGAIN: Lady Gaga angers Thai fans!

• OVERPRICED: Bill Clinton Gala the 'Worst Party Ever'!

• DELUSIONAL: Sharon Stone,  Racist?

• LOW: 'Obscene' Zuma Painting Case Heads to Court!

• TRAVON THEORY: Analyst on Facebook Flop: Hoodie Scared Investors!

• BOOTY CALL: The Perks of Being JLo's Boyfriend!

• HIT: Adam Lambert album has historic #1 debut!

(OUTscene NW) 5th Avenue Theater Responds back to Re-views of Racism in 'Oklahoma'!

Scatliffe

The 5th avenue Theater has responded to Mixed RE-views of their current 'Oklahoma' and every major outlet (Including OUTscene) felt the casting of 'Jud' with a African-American Man was inappropriate, Racist, and stereotypical.  The 5th Ave had sent a statement and invitation to discuss this issue: The 5th Avenue Theatre will host panel discussions and a Town Hall meeting to engage audiences about the portrayal of race in its current production of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma! Called “provocative” by the Seattle Times, this new production features an African American actor as the antagonist, sparking vigorous discussion among audiences about racism both in 1907 (when the musical is set), and in society and the arts today.  

EQUAL: Is Bernice King, Longtime Foe of Same-Sex Marriage, Evolving?

The Georgia Voice reports that Bernice King, the daughter of Martin Luther King, Jr. and a longtime foe of marriage equality, shocked LGBT listeners upon taking the stage at Atlanta's MLK Day rally: In a passionate, sermon-like speech about building unity, King said she didn't care if people were Hindu, Buddhist, Islamist, were from the North side or the South side, were black or white, were “heterosexual or homosexual, or gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender” — that all people were needed to create unity.

(MY view) What Martin Luther King Day Means to Me!

by Akilah Bolden-Monifa


Martin Luther King Day is much more than a holiday.

I often wonder what those who didn't know the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. think of the man and the holiday. I don't have that problem.

I am a 54-year-old lesbian of African descent who grew up in Huntsville, Ala. My parents strategized and marched with King. I learned about civil disobedience and protests from them when I was 4 years old. I heard them talk of engaging in sit-ins at segregated lunch counters. And they explained to me that we would not be buying new clothes from the segregated stores in town on Easter because King, in conjunction with the local churches, had organized a boycott. If we couldn't shop at these stores by entering the front door, then we wouldn't patronize them.

NO CLASS: MLK Would Be Ashamed (Some) of Us!

If Martin Luther King were to see today's America, would he be proud? Paul Krugman thinks not. King dreamed his children would "not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character." Today, we've become "a nation that judges people not by the color of their skin—or at least not as much as in the past—but by the size of their paychecks," Krugman notes in the New York Times . 

And these days, your parents' paychecks look pretty similar to yours. "Goodbye Jim Crow, hello class system." And there's a racial side to this growing American class system, explains Krugman: While in the 1960s and 1970s, "the percentage of black households in the top 20% of the income distribution nearly doubled," that growth came to a halt about 1980—when income inequality started to soar. Income inequality is tied to a lack of social mobility, according to the chair of the Council of Economic Advisers; by 2035, he suggests, "the economic prospects of children" will mostly mirror the class they entered at birth. Mitt Romney wants to keep this discussion "in quiet rooms." It's time to follow King's example and "refuse to stay quiet," Krugman writes. Click to read his entire column.

Historic: “Life With Archie” comic book featuring same-sex wedding goes on sale!

Today is the release of the latest issue of Life With Archie and it’s a very special one indeed because it features the first same-sex/interracial wedding in comic book history, according to Greg in Hollywood!

One of the grooms is Riverdale’s first gay character, Kevin Keller, who ties the knot with Dr. Clay Walker, a physical therapist. The pair met met while Kevin was rehabilitating from an injury he suffered while in the military and stationed in Iraq.

They don’t get together as doctor and patient, however. They only begin dating after a chance encounter at an airport.

Yeah, Right!

OFFENSIVE: English Soccer Star Faces Criminal Charge of Racism!

The captain of England's soccer team faces a criminal charge of hurling racial insults at an opponent during a game, the BBC reports. John Terry allegedly let loose on black player Anton Ferdinand during a match in October. Prosecutors studied the footage and said it amounted to a "racially aggravated public order defense," notes AP.

Terry is using the old my-remarks-were-taken-out-of-context defense and vows to clear his name. "I have never aimed a racist remark at anyone and count people from all races and creeds among my closest friends," he says. "I will fight tooth and nail to prove my innocence." The charges are part of a larger crackdown on racism in soccer, and a Liverpool player might find himself in a similar predicament. Bleacher Report has more on that here.

FUNNY: Sh*t Black Girls Say!

The follow-up to 'Sh*t Girls Say' and 'Sh*t Gay Guys Say'.

SMART: Gay Marriage Campaign Targets Blacks!

The Human Rights Campaign recently started a new push for gay marriage called Americans for Marriage Equality, and since its inception two weeks ago, video testimonials from Newark Mayor Cory Booker, actress Mo’Nique, and former NAACP chairman Julian Bond have been released. "Three prominent black Americans in a row. That’s no accident," writes Frank Bruni in the New York Times. The campaign "implicitly acknowledges the complicated relationship between gay Americans and another minority group not firmly on their side." It would be wonderful if "any and all people who had ever suffered discrimination would … [gather] together under one big anti-bigotry banner," Bruni continues, but that’s not the case. Numerous polls have found that blacks, in particular, oppose gay marriage.

REFORMED: Neo-Nazi Loses Racist Beliefs—and Tattoos!

Bryon Widner, once one of America's most notorious white supremacists, turned his back on racism—but still had a face covered in racist tattoos. Shunned by society and unable to find work, Widner says he became so desperate he considered dousing his face in acid to remove them. Instead, Widner and his wife turned to a former sworn enemy: the Southern Poverty Law Center, a nonprofit civil rights organization that tracks hate groups and aggressively works to shut them down. After determining that the skinhead gang founder's change of heart was genuine, the SPLC found a donor willing to foot the approximately $35,000 bill for tattoo removal. Extensive facial tattoos are rare and it took almost a year to find the right doctors.

Widner—who had been forced to flee his native Michigan after receiving death threats from his former comrades and finding pig manure on his cars—underwent a total of 25 surgeries to remove the tattoos from his face, neck, and hands. The pain was so agonizing he had to be put under general anesthetic for every operation; he emerged from each one with burns and oozing blisters. Widner is in the process of inking over extremist tattoos elsewhere on his body. He has built a new life with his wife and young son, but still suffers migraine headaches and has to stay out of the sun. "It's a small price to pay for being human," he tells the AP

BIGOT: Rick Santorum Suggests the GOP Turn Religious Latino Voters Against the Family-Destroying Gays!

While LGBT people were not mentioned by name in last night's debate, Think Progress LGBT makes note of a moment in which Rick Santorum took square aim at LGBTs while answering a question "about how the Republican party would reconcile its anti-immigration policies and appeal to Latino voters."

HAIL: Susan Sarandon Calls Pope a Nazi!

Actress Susan Sarandon is not a huge fan of the pope. In fact, she called Benedict XVI a Nazi—twice—at a British film festival. She mentioned that she sent the pope a copy of the book Dead Man Walking, then clarified that she sent it to the last pope, "not this Nazi one we have now." The Vatican has admitted Benedict was a member of the Hitler Youth group, but says he was enrolled against his will. "Susan Sarandon's quip about Pope Benedict being a Nazi bespeaks unparalleled ignorance," Bill Donohue, president of the Catholic League, tells TMZ. "Unlike most others, he not only refused to go to the compulsory meetings, he deserted the Hitler Youth."

OFFENSIVE: Urban Outfitters' 'Vulgar' Navajo Collection Attacked!

Urban Outfitters might have thought it was getting all back to the land with its "Navajo" collection of kitschy clothing and accessories. But a Native American woman is angry about the campaign, which she say disrespects her heritage. Sasha Houston Brown, 24, of Minneapolis, has fired off a letter to the CEO calling the "inauthentic" offerings "cheap, vulgar, and culturally offensive." Some of the products the trendy retailer sells include the "Navajo Hipster Panty" and the "Navajo Print Fabric Wrapped Flask," notes ABC News.

The chachkas "make a mockery of our identity and unique cultures," Brown writes. Urban Outfitters hasn't responded to Brown. But a spokesman told ABC that the company is sticking to its guns. "The Native American-inspired trend and specifically the term 'Navajo' have been cycling thru fashion, fine art, and design for the last few years," he said. "We currently have no plans to modify or discontinue any of these products." Brown claims the products are not only offensive, but may be illegal under the Federal Trade Commission and Federal Indian Arts and Crafts Act. "It's illegal to sell any art or craft product in a manner that falsely suggests it is Indian produced, an Indian product, or the product of a particular Indian or Indian tribe," she said.

PEACE: Civil Rights Hero Fred Shuttlesworth Dead at 89!

Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth, one of the most dynamic leaders of the civil rights movement, died yesterday at the age of 89, reports the Washington Post. Shuttlesworth survived bombing attempts, beatings, and dozens of arrests in his attempts to end segregation in the South, and was key in making nonviolence a central tenet of the movement.

In the early '60s, harsh images of Shuttlesworth and other protesters being attacked in Birmingham, Alabama, by police with fire hoses, dogs, and truncheons shocked America and help spur an end to segregation. “He was one of the most courageous men that I have ever known," said Rev. Joseph Lowery, who co-founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference with Shuttlesworth and Martin Luther King Jr. "I don’t know of anyone else that could have led the movement in Birmingham." Shuttlesworth was beaten unconscious by a Ku Klux Klan mob when he tried to enroll his children in a white school in 1957. The year before, he suffered only minor injuries when 15 sticks of dynamite exploded beneath his bedroom window on Christmas Day. “I believe I was almost at death’s door at least 20 times,” Shuttlesworth recalled in 2001. “But when the first bomb went off, it took all fear from my mind. I knew God was with me like he was with Daniel in the lions’ den."

DUH: Herman Cain Says Being Gay is a Choice and Wants to See the Science That Proves Otherwise

Herman Cain, frontrunner in many of the latest GOP 2012 straw polls, was asked by Joy Behar Tuesday morning how he could think being gay is a choice when so many people are vilified for it.

Said Cain: "You show me the science that says that it's not. Could be persuaded. Right now it's my opinion against the opinion of others who feel differently. That's just a difference of opinion."

Cain went on to add that he wouldn't allow his personal opinions to get in the way of running the country, and also repeated his intention to reinstate 'DADT'.

Bizarre: Hank Williams Jr. Compares Obama to Hitler!

Hank Williams Jr.'s Fox and Friends interview got weird right off the bat this morning, as he sat back with sunglasses on and arms crossed and dourly noted, "I'd rather be up there looking at Gretchen [Carlson]." But things got even weirder when Carlson asked Williams which Republican presidential candidate he liked and he responded, "Nobody." That turned into a critique of John Boehner's golf game with President Obama, which Williams said "would be like Hitler playing golf with Netanyahu, OK?"

"I don’t understand that analogy, actually," responded Brian Kilmeade as his co-hosts sat around looking baffled. "Well, I’m glad you don’t, brother, because a lot of people do," Williams said. "You know, they’re the enemy. They’re the enemy." Who's the enemy? "Obama! And Biden! Are you kidding? The three stooges!" Mediaite notes that Carlson was quick to react after Williams went off the air: "I just want to say that we disavow any of those comments or analogies that he’s made, at least I’m going to say that, disavow the analogy between Hitler and the president," she said.

RACE CARD: Perry Loses Florida Straw Poll to Herman Cain?

(AP) – Rick Perry lost a key test vote in Florida to businessman Herman Cain today, just days after he faltered in a debate in Orlando. Cain captured 37.1% of the vote at the Presidency 5 straw poll in Orlando, with Perry coming in second with 15.4%. Mitt Romney came in third with 14%, and Rick Santorum followed with 10.88%. While all declared candidates were on the ballot, the first-tier candidates did not compete. 

Perry bought hundreds of activists' breakfasts on the sidelines before heading to Michigan. Romney and Michele Bachmann, who finished eighth with 1.51%, both left Florida before the voting began, and their campaigns discounted the straw poll's role in the campaign. The results were unlikely to shuffle the campaign's standings. Instead, they were mostly a popularity contest among the delegates selected by local party organizations. Still, Perry said skipping the straw poll was a blunder. "I think that's a big mistake. I think it's very important," Perry said, citing its history: Previous straw polls have predicted the GOP nominee. Ronald Reagan won in 1979, George HW Bush in 1987, and Bob Dole in 1995. 

The Republican Party of Florida, however, has not organized the test vote in recent years.

UNITED: Number Protesting 'Ground Zero Mosque' Opening: Zero!

The definition of anticlimactic: Following almost two years of clashes between those who planned the so-called “Ground Zero mosque” and those who protested it, the Park51 Islamic cultural center opened its first exhibition in New York yesterday without incident. 

Spectators, not protesters, viewed an exhibit featuring photos of New York City children representing 160 ethnicities taken by a Jewish photographer, the New York Daily News reports. The developer, however, admitted to the AP that “we made incredible mistakes. … The biggest mistake we made was not to include 9/11 families” from the very beginning. Instead, they were consulted only after the center became hugely controversial. Now, at least one 9/11 family member is on the advisory board, and the center will have a 9/11 memorial. “We’re very committed to having them involved in our project,” he says. “We're really listening."

PROGRESS: 86% of Americans Are OK With Interracial Marriage!

A full 86% of US adults approve of interracial marriage, a new Gallup poll shows—quite a change from the 4% who approved in 1958. UPI touts the high number, noting that approval is at its highest point yet, with the nation “on the verge of unanimity on the topic.”

But, as Margaret Hartmann notes on Jezebel, that number also implies that “more than one in 10 people are against two people loving each other because of the color of their skin.” African Americans approved of interracial marriage at a higher rate of 96%, while 84% of whites approved. Approval is also somewhat lower among Southerners, Republicans, conservatives, and those with less education. The least approving? The elderly, of whom just 66% approved.